Recipe
Vocals you can understand, from zero
The full vocal path with the NT2-A: from the room and the take to a clear vocal over a wall of guitars. Recording, mixing and mastering on one page.
This recipe is the complete map of the vocal. It doesn’t explain everything in depth: that’s what the linked guides are for. It tells you the order, what to nail at each stage and what not to chase yet.
Step 1: Recording
What you DO nail
- The mic and the level: cardioid, peaks of −12 to −6 dBFS with the most intense part.
- The room: the most absorbent thing behind you, noises off and a pop filter.
- The monitoring: direct through the iD44, with a clear pitch reference.
- The performance: 3 or 4 full takes in layers.
What you DON'T decide yet
- The tone, compression and brightness: those belong to the mix.
- Doubles and harmonies: they can be added after a first mix.
- Fine pitch correction: it goes in editing, only what’s distracting.
The room, the noises and the energy of the take are the only things about the vocal that can't be fixed later.
Step 2: Mixing
- Clean: high-pass at 80–100 Hz and a cut at 200–400 Hz.
- Compress in two stages: one for peaks, the other to even things out.
- Control the sibilance: with the Multiband Dynamics, at 5–8 kHz.
- Give it a place: a 2–4 kHz cut on the guitars before more presence.
- Add space: on sends, with more delay than reverb in metal.
- Automate: phrase by phrase, until you understand every word.
Step 3: Mastering
- Deliver with peaks of −6 dBFS, no limiter. What mastering does to it.
- Also export a version with the vocal 1 dB higher.
- If the limiter buries it, lower the loudness. Presence and loudness.
- Do the final check with rested ears.
Anti-perfectionism, summed up
If you have to choose, choose in this order
- The performance. The only thing that can’t be added later.
- The room. The only thing that can’t be removed later.
- Understandable lyrics. Compression, a place in the guitars and automation.
- Sibilance under control. So it can be heard loud.
- Moderate space. What integrates it.
- Everything else: doubles, saturation, fine pitch correction. Optional.
Quick path: vocals from zero
Quick path
- Blankets behind you, noises off, pop filter at 5 cm, you at 15–25 cm.
- NT2-A on cardioid, cable, 48V and peaks of −12 to −6 dBFS.
- Direct monitoring, and an instrument with a clear note in the headphones.
- 3 or 4 full takes in layers.
- Build the final version and clean the silences.
- High-pass at 80–100 Hz and a cut at 200–400 Hz.
- Two compressors, with 3 to 5 dB and 2 to 3 dB of reduction.
- Sibilance with the Multiband Dynamics, at 5–8 kHz.
- A 2–4 kHz cut on the guitars; presence and air with care.
- Reverb and delay on sends.
- Automation phrase by phrase, at low volume.
- Check: lyrics at low volume, mono, phone and reference.
- Deliver at −6 dBFS, no limiter.
Expected result
Expected result
A vocal with real energy, understood word by word over the band, with no sibilance that hurts and no room that distracts. If you’ve made it here, your song’s vocal is solved, and with it all four instruments.